Council cutting trees down - say they are diseased - how can I tell?

[SnibbleAgain]

Hello

The council have put notices up on all the blossom trees on our road to say they are going to cut them down. Strangely the ones on the nearby much more expensive road can stay.

I have a suspicion they want rid as they make a mess on the pavement / or something.

Anyway I emailed them and they said this:

"I can confirm we have recently carried out a survey of all the trees within the area. Unfortunately 5 trees within this road were found to have significant decay within the stems along with fungal fruiting brackets. In species such as these (Purple Plum), this tends to cause stem failure".

They are coming into blossom now and they look AOK perfectly healthy but I'm no expert. Googling is a dead end. Does anyone know if there are visible symptoms of this disease? I have taken some photos.

Whole thing just feels very suspicious and these are beautiful, mature trees that give everyone a lot of pleasure. The neighbours are all very upset as well.

So why are they not just felling the 5, rather than all of them?

There's only 5 blossom trees the other ones are other sorts.

The blossom trees are the big mature ones, the others are all younger and don't really do much TBH.

There's no issues with the roots etc that I am aware of (have spoken to the neighbours they are all upset) - it's this idea that they are diseased, I'd like to know if there's any way to see that. And TBH there must be as I can't imagine they have gone and taken and tested samples and stuff, it must be a visual thing.

Guess you could pay a tree surgeon for their opinion.

Google Sheffield council and the tree cutting down situation. People are chaining themselves to trees, etc! They reckon the council are fibbing about poorly trees.

Yes my husband said about Sheffield and I wonder what is really going on. The whole thing seems very suspicious somehow. Is the wood worth a few quid I wonder.

I'm loathe to pay a tree surgeon first thought was someone on here might know if there are visible symptoms for the diseases the council have told me the trees have.

Other thing is the blossom does make a mess on teh pavement and roads and I suspect that's what's at the bottom of it.

Sheffield residents reckon it’s something to do with making it easier/cheaper to resurface roads and pavements if there’s no trees. I think.

Do a FOI request citing the Environmental Info Regulations, asking for the survey report. Then contact the firm. Though best phoning in the request as you may be lucky and get someone on the phone willing to confirm what the report did or didn't say.

I'd ask for a copy of the report and speak to the tree officer at the council. You could also contact your local elected member with your concerns.

OK I'm going to email back and ask for a copy of the report on the trees, and if he can't give it, how to do that.

Also will ask DH to talk to his family member who works for council - different but related dept may be able to ask someone.

Thank you.

I’m in Sheffield. It’s bloody awful. Not too bad on my road so far, which is full of mature cherries. Some streets have already been dramatically changed by the felling. It’s very sad.

Look ok to me but what do I know.

This is happening on a tree outside our house. It looks beautiful and in blossom today. However, 3 massive branches have fallen out of it in the last 3 years and I saw a guy tapping it the other day with a weird hammer. I asked what he was doing and he showed me the actual decay and fungus.

I can’t look at it now without seeing the huge mushrooms growing out of it, it makes me feel sick. There’s a branch that’s almost hollow inside too. But I’d never spotted it until he said. Have a closer look and you might be able to see the decay?

Lyanna

Are they replacing them in Sheffield?

We have already had some cut down previously and replaced, when you take out mature trees esp ornamental ones and replace them with ones that are 1.5m high and don't do much, it does make a massive difference to the feel of the road. We are animals after all and nature has positive impact on mental wellbeing etc - a simple thing like looking out the window and seeing blossoms makes more difference than you imagine - this is reflected in the desirability of roads with nice trees on vs none.

I'll look again when it's not snowing!

Have asked for the report.

Thanks all.

On our tree it’s in the crevices of where the branches meet. Big brown mushrooms Higher up than the photos you’ve just posted if you can get a higher look?

The road my DS's school is have recently had some of the trees cut down.
They look beautiful when they're in blossom. Was thinking what a shame it was but didn't think they could be diseased.

There are big problems with councils having to make pavements safe for wheelchair users. Old trees have roots that make the surfaces uneven and unless the roots are dug out, the wheelchair users cannot get over them. If you look at many streets, it’s a problem with mature trees. What should the councils do in these cases? It’s damned if they do and damned if they don’t. Everyone lobbies from their own viewpoint.

If branches are diseased they can fall off. As it’s a public highway and pavement, I guess they are being cautious. Many flowering trees do not last forever. My plum tree fell apart! I would spend my energy in getting the trees replaced with new trees that are smaller and suitable for the road. This means that in a few years, the road will look just as good!

OK will check that out when snow stops!

Thank you

They aren't replacing like with like
They aren't cutting them down on the roads where people with more welath and influence live
Look at sheffield -
Our council has form for dodgyness.

I've asked for the report.

Yes, ask for the report under FOI.

They have to respond within 20 days.

DH is a tree surveyor.
Get the report, pm me and I will ask him to decode it and give you his opinion.
Meanwhile I would photograph the trees to document them as the flower, leaf up etc. Take distance shots not just close ups.

In my experience of Sheffield, then they will just do it anyway. They will cut down trees that are definitely not diseased nor causing issues with pavements. Yes, some might have been but definitely not all, by any stretch.

Some have been replaced in Sheffield, on some roads - but by no means all, not in the slightest. And they are cutting down 100 year old trees and replacing them with small ones not much more than saplings.

However, despite the amount of protesting and asking for more information from various groups, it still continues. Most cutting down sessions have police present now. I've not been part of any of the groups but it is all over our media regularly.

stayathomegardener thank you - I will.

Aragog - it's really upsetting and the treatment of the protesters having massive police presence is unsettling in terms of how the council view their own customers.

Blimey.
I had sent a quick thing off to mp as well in a strop when I first found out.

Have today had:
Email from council with report
Voicemail from council saying they have sent report and call on mobile (not general contact number) if want to talk
Email from mp office with further copy of report

Wtf seems I have hit some kind of jackpot the handful of times I've contacted before I've been assiduously ignored

Will look at report tomorrow and pm to kind poster whose OH knows about trees.

This is a bit bonkers. They also said " you probably know there is a meeting with David ? Tomorrow" I have no idea who it is, sounds like this trees thing is a bit of a hi hope ha then.